People’s brains and bodies rarely tell them to take some time to sit still and let their thoughts flood over them when they’re overwhelmed. However, meditation can calm the mind and help it become more in touch with the body. The easiest way to improve your heart health is to decrease or eliminate stress, and meditation is an activity that takes just five minutes a day and does exactly that.
The basics of meditation
Meditation is merely the act of being alone with yourself and taking the time to get in touch with your body and mind. You won’t spend this time distracted by other thoughts or chores on your to-do list—instead, you’ll let everything pass you by as you sit with yourself. At first, it might seem difficult to turn your brain off for this practice, but you’ll find it easier to calm your mind and keep yourself centred as you strengthen your habit.
Practicing daily meditation will lower your anxiety levels, leave you more focused and help you regulate your emotions more effectively. Meditation can also help improve your heart rate variability (HRV). A higher HRV will, in turn, boost your heart’s health and decrease your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
Some of the other benefits of meditation include:
- Improved mental health: You’ll see decreased signs of anxiety and depression over time.
- Better memory: Indulging your brain means enhancing your memory.
- More focus: You’ll be able to focus more clearly on the things you want, not distractions.
- Lower blood pressure: Over time, you may see this factor decrease.
- Better sleep: You’ll become more physically relaxed as a result of meditation.
Many people don’t understand meditation and discount it as a fad with no health benefits. Still, it’s a simple exercise that you’ll be able to complete every day and get real results from. It’s certainly worth trying to build a habit out of the practice, so you can see what benefits you’re reaping by checking in with yourself on a daily basis.
Starting a meditation practice
You may be surprised by just how much meditation can do for you if you’ve never tried it as a stress reliever before. You don’t have to be anywhere special to meditate—simply being present in a quiet room is enough. Once you know how to meditate, you’ll be ready to build this habit with just five minutes a day, no matter where you are. To get started, follow these five pointers:
Sit somewhere comfortable
The last thing you want on your mind when you start meditating is how uncomfortable you are. You want to be fully immersed in your mind and body, not your surroundings, when you meditate. You don’t want to be breaking out of your meditative state because you’re uncomfortable and have to readjust your position halfway through your reflective period. You can meditate while sitting up or lying down—just make sure you’re in a comfortable position to begin.
Mettez de l'ambiance
Darken the room you’re meditating in if that’ll help you focus more. Alternatively, you can choose a quiet spot in nature to do your practice. Over time, you’ll learn what works best for you and adjust your location accordingly. Before meditating, turning on audio is another popular option. Guided meditation can relax you through the implementation of classical music, and sometimes, a gentle voice will walk you through breathing techniques or imagery to help you relax.
Focus on one thing at once
Your thoughts may be racing when you don’t have anything to distract you, but you should just let them bounce right off you because you’re not supposed to be focusing on them during a meditation session. Hone in on what you feel around you while giving equal attention to your body and your mind. Then, you can start to pay attention to only your breathing.
Take deep breaths
Start paying very close attention to your breathing if you really want to feel in tune with your body. Does it hurt to take deep breaths? An exaggerated breath—a deep breath through your mouth that’s exhaled through your nostrils—can help you relieve stress and calm you down from panic mode. Breathing deeply can also assist you with feeling calm and ready for whatever the day throws at you.
Remember to relax
Once you feel you’ve done enough deep or exaggerated breathing, it’s time to enjoy the relaxation that comes with it. You should feel a release of tension in your shoulders, and possibly in your neck and chest as well. Your worries will melt away for the moment. They’ll come back eventually, but you’ll be equipped to handle them, as you’ll know how to stay in the moment. You can fight off your anxiety with ease once you understand how to stay mindful with meditation.
5 major benefits of staying mindful
Overall, you’ll have far less anxiety once you train yourself to stay mindfully in the present moment, and less stress means that your heart will benefit, too. As a result, you’ll be able to spend more time with your loved ones and do what you enjoy without worrying about your heart health all the time. Here are five more specific benefits associated with practicing mindfulness meditation:
You’ll decrease your stress levels
You don’t have to worry about what comes next when you’re in the moment. You should think about your future when you’re making certain decisions, like big purchases or moving, but you don’t want to consider the future so much that you take yourself out of the joy of the present moment. Lowering your stress levels by keeping your mind on the present will decrease your risk of developing cardiovascular disease or experiencing a heart attack. It’s in your best interest, when it comes to both your heart and your head, to stay mindful every day.
You’ll become more empathetic
You’ll start to recognize why you feel certain things and what makes you feel that way, once you learn to be more in tune with yourself. You’ll understand your emotions better and enhance your ability to read certain situations, based on how they make you feel. What’s more, you can extend this empathy towards others, too. If you know you would’ve reacted similarly to a problem in the past, you can help other people understand that their emotions are valid and teach them to work through them constructively.
You’ll improve your memory
You’ll remember more when you have less stress and stay in the present moment. Stress affects the brain in several ways, including negatively affecting your memory and your ability to recall things. It’s best to try to limit your stress as much as possible, so you can clearly remember the great times in your life, and staying mindful can also remind you of the beauty in your current situation.
You’ll make better choices
Practicing mindfulness, as a result of meditation, can help you make beneficial choices in life. It’s not a bad thing to be selfish, especially when you’re making decisions that’ll benefit your life and goals in the long run. Spending time with yourself every day will give you a greater sense of what you need to accomplish to meet your objectives and realize your dreams. You’ll end up making better decisions for yourself and your family while also remaining mindful of your situation and your environment.
You won’t miss out on things
Staying present in the moment will make you fully available for whatever your loved ones want to do. You’ll appreciate spending time with them more than you did before, as you’ll realize that you should never take a moment for granted. You’ll be living in the present and only worrying about the future when you need to. This guarantees a fuller, happier life than the one you’d otherwise have.
Less stress goes a long way!
Stress is on everyone’s mind, but just because it’s common, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t negatively affect people—including, of course, you. Fortunately, you can squash your anxiety by using mindful meditation, which will help you synchronize your mind and body. With a bit of practice, you’ll no longer have to worry about life’s pressures harming your heart. Just five minutes a day could change your life.
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«LECTURE CONNEXE» RETURNING TO A STATE OF FLOW: One minute and one word at a time»
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